Disney’s Lighting The Fire Under ‘Into The Woods’ Film Adaptation. Are Meryl Streep & Johnny Depp Circling The Film?

The news that Disney were looking to adapt the Stephen Sondheim/James Lapine hit musical INTO THE WOODS into a film is pretty old but the fire is still burning for the project. When LES MISERABLES goes out and earns $438m globally there’s definitely a solid case to make the film given that gargantuan number.

Musicals have been having a pretty good run with only a couple of notable exceptions not really firing. MAMMA MIA ($610m), HAIRSPRAY ($210m), CHICAGO ($307m), DREAMGIRLS ($155m) and SWEENEY TODD: THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET ($152m) all proved their mettle at the box office. Sure there were some failures in ROCK OF AGES and NINE but that wide, well known broadway hit is proving box office bank!

With INTO THE WOODS on the burner rumour has it that none other than Johnny Depp is circling the project to dust off his vocal stylings for the first time since SWEENEY TODD. Depp and Disney have a pretty solid history together so this pairing sounds legit!

Rob Marshall (Chicago) is set to direct the film and rumour also has it that Meryl Streep is lining up to play the Evil Witch.

Synopsis: Into the Woods combines the well-known fairy tales of Cinderella, Rapunzel, Jack and the Beanstalk, and Little Red Ridinghoood with the story of the Baker and his Wife who desperately want a child. Unfortunately, the Baker and his Wife have been cursed with childlessness by a witch and must perform various missions involving the characters in the other fairy tales to break the spell. The Baker and his Wife must bring the witch a cow as white as milk, a cape as red as blood, hair as yellow as corn, and a slipper as pure as gold. After a series of failed attempts, the Baker and his Wife finally are able to perform the tasks necessary to break the spell. Once the characters have accomplished their goals, however, they learn about the pitfalls of greed and gluttony. Finally, they learn about the need for community and family when they must unite to fight against the wife of the giant Jack killed who has decided to come back for revenge. – stageagent.com
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